Factors associated with spousal sexual violence against women in Eastern region of Uganda.

Abstract

The prevalence of sexual violence in Uganda is a major concern especially in this era of HTV/AIDS. According to the UDHS 2016 national figures, about 24 percent of women who have experienced sexual violence, the first experience of violence occurred at age 15-19. The main objective of the study was to establish the factors associated with spousal sexual violence against women in Eastern Uganda. The study was guided by specific objectives namely; to establish the relationship between a woman's economic status and spousal sexual violence in the Eastern Region of Uganda; to examine the association between socio demographic factors and the occurrence of spousal sexual violence; to determine the extent to which alcohol use influences spousal sexual violence among others. A total of 2454 respondents in the Uganda demographic health survey 2016 were used. The data was analyzed using SPSS version 20 statistical software package. Analysis was done at three levels i.e. univariate, bivariate and multivariate. Results of the analysis at Univariate level show that 45.4% of the respondents experienced spousal sexual violence. The Bivariate analysis also showed that there was a significant relationship between the husband's alcohol consumption and spousal sexual violence shown by P=0.000. Then at the multivariate level there was a significant association between the independent variables that is; lower level of education (OR= 1.44) husband's alcohol consumption(OR=3.671) and spousal sexual violence shown by the results from the odds ratio. Prevalence of spousal sexual violence is lower among the women whose husbands do not drink alcohol (66.1%), most of the women who have experienced spousal sexual violence have experienced at the expense of their husbands consuming alcohol which affects self-control and end up sexually abusing them. The likelihood of experiencing sexual violence decreases with woman's education attainment due to their strong socio- economic status that enables them involve in developmental issues like policy making and decision making in their families. Therefore, the study recommends that in order to reduce the occurrence of spousal sexual violence possible measures and strategies are to be undertaken for example, regulation of alcohol consumption, empowerment of women through girl child education, and putting in place measures to enforce the law on sexual abuse especially the rights of women in Eastern Uganda and the country at large.